Tuesday, April 3, 2012

What are your thoughts about deterring crows. They seem to
be 'relentless' in wanting to take over the feeding area. Is safflower seed
readily available at any pet store? I would assume it is far more expensive as well, as I get my
large bags on sale :) Again, thank you.

Our safflower seed is about the same price as sunflower
seed. It can be found in all Wild Birds Unlimited stores, and many other stores
that sell wild bird food.

A lot of the cheap seed blends sold in stores other
than Wild Birds Unlimited contain cheap seeds that attract crows.

The American Crows are loud and can eat a lot. However the “good” song birds
might actually appreciate crows because they announce loud and clear when you fill
the feeder and they will defend their territory against incoming hawks.

But if you are supporting too many crows, there are a few techniques to
reducing the numbers that visit your feeders.

Keeping the crows at bay

1) Change seed: Take away cracked corn or food scraps, their
favorite foods. Switch to an all safflower seed diet for a few weeks. Squirrels, blackbirds,
starlings, and crows don’t like safflower. It may take awhile for the other
songbirds to accept the change but it is a favorite with cardinals and
chickadees. And gradually the rest of the songbirds will switch over to
safflower.

3) Keep larger birds away from spilled seed: Since song birds
knock seed out of feeders, limit access to spilled seed by placing rocks or
shrubs beneath your feeders. Smaller birds will be able to hop in and out of
tiny places, unlike crows.

4) Make the area more desirable for songbirds: Lots of trees
will make them feel secure, as will the presence of a constant water source.
Blackbirds and Crows prefer the open fields or yards.